Dr. Edwin Tso, Assistant Professor, was interviewed by TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited) to showcase his innovation on “Energy-Free, Low-Cost and High Cooling Performance Passive Radiative Cooling Technology for Building Applications”. The interview was aired at Channel 85 TVB Finance & Information Channel – Innovation GPS, on 17 March 2021.

Hong Kong has more than 50,000 buildings that consume 90% of its total electricity, with air-conditioning systems consuming around 30%. Using the universe as a cooling source, a passive radiative cooling paint is developed, providing a sustainable and energy saving solution to the consumption of electricity in buildings. Unlike traditional air-conditioning systems, the passive radiative cooling paint is an energy-free and refrigerant-free cooling technology that reflects incoming solar irradiance, while emitting thermal radiation to the cold universe, thereby achieving sub-ambient cooling.

In the TV programme, Dr. Tso shared his views on this self-cooling technology for it possesses many advantages, such as simple structure, easy manufacturing, and low-cost. Directly coating this paint on a building’s roof or exterior walls will reduce its surface temperature, achieving air-conditioning energy saving. This self-cooling technology can also be used for cooling automobiles, or in self-cooling textiles, as well as for painting roads to mitigate the heat island effect.

Watch the programme online.